Inalienable Rights

Deep into my thoughts. The chill that I caught when I heard my name didn’t tame me. Nor did hearing it a second and third time. Instead any color in my skin leapt from my fingers. As I knuckled down. And dug them into the laminate desk before me. Even deeper then I’d had been. As I scoffed and hummed giving no regard to each attempt to get my attention. Or the tension it’s built in the unfamiliar familiar North American Cold War era classroom.

Expecting my overplayed display of resolve to find me a greater audience (arguably my greatest fear at the time) And spurn on the storied disciplinary action of corporal punisher Ms./Ms’s Hildegard (no last name) I did then what she’d least expected.

As her response had just nearly finished welling up inside her. I spoke up! And she and the rest of the class. All standing and backing away now. Choked up and or gasped. As a student talking back to a teacher. Even rationally. Was rarer than sashimi. Or Americans eating it at the time. (1981)

I explained my position. Why I wouldn’t be taking part in such an such activities. And I apologized for any inconvenience this causes. While thanking her for accommodating me in advance of her doing anything of the sort.

"Nin! Nin! Nin!" I’ll spare you the rest.

The tirade Miss Hildegard went into was so stereotypically Angry incensed Fürher. You’d think I was bullshitting you. But as is implied I am not in the slightest. And it didn’t end there. Only after berating me at length and then failing to physical force me upright for ten to twenty minutes. Did she succumb to the fact that her efforts where futile. And the threatened trip to the principals office. Was now my reality. Five year old (1-0) Fifty year old (0-1)

I secured my backpack jacket and things. And turned to leave once again giving no regard to her instructions. Turning right down the long hallway as expected until reaching its end. I then turned right leaving out the front door of the school. Rather than turning left to the principals office and enduring anymore of what I saw as needless and insignificant thing to argue over. With a five year old no less.

I sat outside backed up to some bushes where kids get picked up after school. And listened as my class finally pledged their allegiances to the flag. Hildegard sharing her disdain for free thinkers & hippies. All good for nothing troublemakers she’d say. For the next hour maybe two. I dosed of and napped thru most of it.

Until they’d figured out I’d gone missing. And a search party was put into action. My peeved mother and her now staunchest (fearing lawsuits) supporter Vice principal McNally quickly finding me. Blood boiling now though over their failure to foresee this incident. And circumvent it happening altogether by maybe briefing Ms/Ms’s Hildegard before hand. Needles to say I withheld scathing searing comments, due judgement of their failures in this regard. As I answered questions and explained my side of the story without embellishments. As was corroborated by the eye witness accounts of the other students present.

That was the first day of first grade for me. The biggest physically but youngest in age by far in class. And that was but the first and most minor of the Knock down drag out fights. Ms/Ms’s Hildegard and I locked horns and tussled with each other in that year. The next is so audacious. The cries of bullshit will be difficult to quell but you can ask Vice principal McNally if you don’t believe me. She was my daughters fifth grade teacher and she’s still there teaching even now forty years later. But we’ll save that for later now won’t we.